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Poetry Prompt: Poems as Gifts

Holiday season is coming up, and it’s always a good idea to be thinking ahead! Today’s prompt not only gives you great gift ideas but also helps you look back on all of the poems you’ve written this year. Plus, you’ll be able to take the next step in sharing your poetry with the world!

Sometimes, your poems are the deepest reflections of your inner thoughts and feelings, meant for your eyes alone. Other times, the poem you write can be silly and spontaneous, tell an epic story, reflect on the world with rhymes—and so much more!

Take a while today to grab the notebooks, journals, scraps of paper, or computer screens you’ve written on this past year. Go back and read your poems. Don’t be afraid to read them out loud!

Then, ask yourself a few questions. Which poems are your favorites? Why? Is it because of the clever rhymes and wordplay, the creative storytelling, or the heartfelt feelings in them? Go ahead and celebrate yourself! Be proud of what you’ve created!

Now it’s time to think about sharing your poems. Come up with a list of people or one special person you’d like to give a poem to. Maybe a sibling has a birthday in a few weeks, or the grandparents would love a poetic Christmas gift. You might even want to give a poem to each family member!

Once you have your list of people, read through your poems again, but this time with your audience in mind. Poems can be some of the most special and meaningful gifts you can give someone, but you want to choose the poems carefully so that they suit the person you’re giving them to. Maybe your little brother loves short funny rhymes with a twist at the end. Perhaps the grandparents would appreciate a long epic rhyme. Think about what people would enjoy and see if you can find poems to match their preferences.

If you have poems to match each person on your list, perfect! You’re well on the way to becoming a poetry gift-giving pro. Just make sure to follow our tips for revising your poem to give it the verbal power and emotional punch that will make it a dazzling gift!

On the other hand, you may realize that you don’t have a poem already written that’s perfect for each person on your list. Not to worry! You can also write a poem from scratch that’s for someone else. Here are some steps to follow for the perfect poetry gift:

Brainstorm the subjects that that person likes. Do they love long walks out in nature? Maybe they’re baseball fans. Perhaps there’s nothing they like more than a good adventure story. Write down their favorite topic next to each person’s name.

Now that you’ve got a subject for your poem, think about the style of poetry they’d enjoy. Would they appreciate a long rhyming saga or a concrete poem in the shape of a baseball bat? Be as creative with this as you’d like!

Once you’ve got a subject for your poem and a style of poetry, it’s time to start writing! Go ahead and dive in!

Once you've got your poems written and revised, it's time to think about how you want to present them. You could write them in fancy script on beautiful paper, or print them out and add a fun border to them. You can frame them or roll them up like a scroll. Whatever you choose, make it look special and fun, just for them! Now all that's left is for you to give them your special gift!

The poems you write don’t have to stay private for your eyes only. They also make perfect gifts for that special someone in your life. If you have a good story about poetry as a gift, be sure to share it with us here!